


vanilla bean latte

by flanneltrash



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Background Luke Garroway/Maryse Lightwood, Background Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Barista Alec Lightwood, Baristas, Bottom Magnus, Bottom Magnus Bane, College Student Magnus Bane, Confident Alec Lightwood, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Nervous Magnus Bane, Protective Alec Lightwood, Shy Alec Lightwood, Shy Magnus Bane, Supportive Alec Lightwood, Supportive Magnus Bane, Top Alec, Top Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:41:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flanneltrash/pseuds/flanneltrash
Summary: Could Magnus Bane really develop a crush on a man he has literally only spoken the same 10 words to?-Or the AU where Magnus is a college student at NYU and goes into his favorite coffee shop as much as possible just to see the tall, handsome barista whose smile alone makes him forget his own name.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	vanilla bean latte

**Author's Note:**

> I work at Starbucks and all day today I've thought about "what if Alec was a cute barista man who smells like coffee and remembers Magnus's coffee order and makes Magnus fucking Bane nervous and blush?" Now, here I am writing it. Alec doesn't work at a Starbucks, but I will still be using a lot of information I have minus the names of the cup sizes. I picture Alec in a cute, small business coffee shop that's owned by sweet people, but is extremely popular for its quality.
> 
> Alec will have still have runes, but they will be referred to as tattoos and aren't magical at all. The Shadow world doesn't exist in this AU.
> 
> Enjoy the first, very short chapter and let me know if there are any barista!Alec and student!Magnus scenarios you want to play a part in this!

"Cat, why are you actually trying to have a serious conversation with me at 8am on a Monday? I haven't gotten any coffee in my system yet," Magnus was walking down the sidewalk, phone pressed against his ear as he tried passing the crowds of people to get to the little coffee shop on the corner of the street.

Brooklyn was definitely buzzing at this time of day as everyone made their way to work, school, etc., and Magnus was no stranger to it. He knew walking half a mile from his apartment just for coffee was kind of irrelevant, since he could just make it at home, but nothing was better than someone else making it fresh. Magnus couldn't make any of the drinks he liked as well as a coffee shop of any kind could. This morning he needed it, though. Catarina was yapping in his ear about an essay she had an hour to finish and was only half done and Magnus himself had to finish reading a few chapters of his book, get ready for his classes, and then actually get to them on-time.

"Magnus, who else am I going to tell about this?!" Catarina squealed into his ear, causing him to pull his phone away from his ear.

"You should be using your fingers to tell your essay this on the computer. Bye-bye now!" he laughed into the phone as he hung up, sliding his phone into his warm jacket pocket as he came up to his favorite relaxation sanctuary: Angel House. 

This cafe was the sweetest and homiest place Magnus had been inside of and it quickly became a place he could go at any time to study, relax, or in today's case-wake up. He hadn't been into the shop for two months when he had left New York in July and August to travel around and visit his few friends and family around the world. He missed the sweet couple who owned and ran the business and the few regular barista's who he'd grown fond of.

The shop was on a corner and always had people coming and going. The inside had light gray walls with dark brown signs for all of the drinks and food items they had available. All of the tables and chairs were a light-colored wood and there were various shapes and sizes. This place had any kind of seating you could want: chairs, couches, bean bags, loveseats, booths, and stools were scattered about. The lights in the shop were always low and they only slightly turned them up when it was dark in the morning, or as it got darker at night. The natural lighting from outside is what made the place even more homey to Magnus.

Oh how he missed it here.

"Magnus!" a middle-aged man exclaimed from next to a warming oven.

"Ben! I've been gone for months and I always find you standing in the same spot." Magnus went over to sit at the barstools to talk to the man who owned half of this gorgeous place.

"I never leave. How was your traveling?" the man's hair was graying and his smile was huge as he unwrapped and slid a muffin into the oven for a waiting customer.

"Exhausting. I wanted to be back in my apartment after 2 weeks!" 

"Well, amen to that! Amy and I went away for 2 weeks as well and after the first 5 days, we were dying to come back to the shop. Although, we left it in good hands with the crew. We hired someone new and he luckily had worked in a coffee shop before, so training him was a breeze and now he's probably our best employee. Don't tell the others," Ben whispered, teasingly as a dark-haired woman appeared from the back room, a man chuckling with her on the way out.

Oh, shit!

Was that their new hire? Magnus felt his throat go a bit dry and cleared his throat, amazed by his own body's reaction.

He was tall, much taller than himself and that was saying something! He had beautiful hazel eyes, black hair, and pale but perfectly taken care of skin. He wore a tight fitted navy blue t-shirt, black jeans, and the shop's black apron on. His face was freshly shaven and several random tattoos covered what parts of his body Magnus could see. Speaking of his BODY, this man was practically sculpted by the Gods. He definitely took care of himself in a modest way.

Magnus barely had time to pick his mouth off the table before Ben was hiding his laugh at Magnus's reaction and Magnus had to shake his brain to go to greeting Amy.

"Amy, my dear!" he turned his charming persona on in front of this stranger and went to give the woman a side-hug and proceeded to catch up with the couple.

The pale man had left them to their conversation and started to ring customers at the counter and start to make their drinks when another barista slid on to take orders. Magnus was a bit disappointed the man hadn't introduced himself, but he definitely seemed like the strong silent type. Magnus knew people like that all too well and thought better than to pressure this absolute stranger.

However, Magus was starting to run late for his day because of his staring and said his 'goodbyes' to the couple, before making his way over to the line to wait for a chance to order. 

"Hey, Magnus!" the cheery girl, Ailene, had greeted him as always.

"Hi girly, could I get a large iced vanilla bean latte? Extra espresso shot in that, please." 

"You got it, I'm pretty sure our new guy hasn't made your drink yet, so I could tell him how if you'd like?" she smiled over at the man, who was obviously eavesdropping a bit.

"That's alright, I'll let him surprise me. Plus, I'd definitely remember that face." Magnus winked at her, and paid, then walked over towards the hand-off counter to play around on his phone. 

He casually watched the man move and he was so fluid and swift with making all these drinks. Being a barista was one job-type Magnus never thought he could do. Remembering so many drinks was just a disaster waiting to happen. Not to mention, his clothes would be covered in various drink ingredients with how much of a mess he would be. He would not be happy if his entire wardrobe was covered in sticky syrups.

"Large iced vanilla bean latte, extra shot!" the man called out, glancing for half a second at Magnus, before going back to his work.

Jesus, his voice alone was enough to make Magnus forget that was his drink for a moment.

After shaking his thoughts away, Magnus went to pick up his cup and a bit too aggressively stab a straw into it. After taking a sip, he thought he could die happy. This was the best anyone had ever made his drink and maybe that was the attraction to this man talking, or he was just extremely good at his job, but Magnus may have moaned a bit at finally having coffee in his system.

Caffeine addiction at it's finest.

"Thank you, this is the best anyone has ever made it, truly. I'll definitely be around again for you." Magnus spits out before his courage could disappear and gave a smile as he went to turn away.

Then, the man had to let out a deep chuckle and wink at Magnus fucking Bane and then ignore him like he was no longer in the shop.

Magnus choked a bit on his breath and his face turned beet red as he rushed to leave the store and head back for home.

The whole way home he was trying to text his group chat with Cat, Raphael, Clary, and Simon about this beautiful man who had the balls to just fucking wink at him and make him lose all his brain cells.


End file.
